The present invention relates to animal restraints, and more particularly, to animal restraint systems for vehicles.
Animals (particularly pets) are often transported in the passenger compartment of vehicles. If the animal is unrestrained, this presents a danger to both the animal and the human occupants of the vehicle. An unrestrained animal can interfere with the driver of the vehicle, such as by jumping on the driver""s lap. Also, in the event that vehicle brakes suddenly, makes a sudden maneuver, or comes to a sudden stop such as in the case of an accident, the unrestrained animal may be thrown about the passenger compartment of the vehicle. This can injure the animal. It can also injure a human occupant if the animal is thrown into this occupant with enough force. It can also cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle if the animal is thrown into the driver when the driver is attempting to bring the vehicle to a stop or maneuvering the vehicle.
It is an object of this invention to provide an animal restraint system for a vehicle that restrains the animal from moving about the passenger compartment of the vehicle and also restrains the animal from being thrown about the passenger compartment of the vehicle if the vehicle suddenly brakes, maneuvers or stops.
An animal restraint system for a vehicle has a vest having leg holes for front legs of an animal. The vest is symmetrical about the leg holes allowing the vest to be rotated 180 degrees and placed on the animal in either orientation. The vest is removably couplable to a seat belt of the vehicle.
In an aspect of the invention, the vest is spherically shaped to provide the symmetry about the leg holes of the vest.
In an aspect of the invention, the animal restraint system includes a tether strap for removably coupling the vest to the seat belt of the vehicle. The tether strap has one or more loops with the seat belt of the vehicle being passed through one of the loops to removably couple the tether strap to the seat belt.
In an aspect of the invention, the vest includes a vest jacket and reinforcing straps secured to the vest jacket.
In an aspect of the invention, a top strap extends across a back of an animal from a first side of the vest jacket above one of the leg holes to a second side of the vest jacket above the other leg hole when the vest is on the animal to secure the vest to the animal. The tether strap is removably coupled to the top strap.
In an aspect of the invention, the top strap includes a first end that is removably coupled to a first side of the vest jacket above one of the leg hole by a buckle and a second end coupled to a second side of the vest jacket above the other leg hole by a strap length adjuster.
In an aspect of the invention, the animal restraint system can be left in the vehicle coupled to the seat belt and then easily and rapidly secured to the animal by placing the front legs of the animal into the leg holes of the vest jacket and buckling the top strap.
In an aspect of the invention, the animal restraint system has two top straps. The top straps are coupled to a first side of the vest jacket above one of the leg holes by individual buckles and to a second side of the vest jacket above the other leg hole by individual strap length adjusters.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.